Why Jeremy Allen White Was Never The Same After Shameless

According to Jeremy Allen White, portraying the same character for such a long time was no walk in the park. "Shameless" premiered in 2011, airing 134 episodes before concluding its run in 2021 (via IMDb). As one of the only characters to appear in every episode of the show, Lip carries a significant portion of the narrative each week. In between a busy shooting schedule and the fact that the actors were expected to have their lines fully memorized each day, it makes sense that White was feeling the pressure. According to the actor, he spent so much time playing Lip that he struggled with his sense of self as time went on. 

"There was a period where I stopped feeling like an actor, and I started feeling like I was just here to do this show," White told GQ. "It was an upsetting head space to be in. When it was going to end, I was questioning: 'Maybe I do just exist on this show. What else is there? Am I an actor?'"